Gratifications
by strikelight angel
Summary: As Aizen savored his triumph, he speculated upon the orange-haired boy who had once again unknowingly become the catalyst that had driven his plan to success. And he wondered if he should express his thanks to the boy. Read & review please.


**Disclaimer: **I do not own Bleach or any of its affiliates.

**Warnings:** Spoilers for recent manga chapter 314 and 315.

**Summary:** As Aizen savored his triumph, he could not stop himself from contemplating the orange-haired boy who had once again, unknowingly became the catalyst that had driven his plan to success. And he wondered if he should express his thanks.

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**Gratification**

**-**

Aizen stepped gradually through the garganta that would lead him from his white palace to the real world where Karakura Town was _supposed_ to be located, his steps measured and deliberate. He could feel Gin and Tousen following faithfully from behind, just as he could feel the sharp reiatsu of his former shinigami comrades, arriving one by one, into the human world, all with one desperate hope of obstructing him.

_As if they could_…

They would not hinder him. For sure, the path towards victory had already been carved out for him. All thanks to the orange-haired boy who was now trapped in some part of his palace. Thanks to him, he and his little group, as well as four captains were all trapped in Hueco Mundo with no way out.

Of course, Aizen was confident that his plan would work out, but the intervention of the silly ryoka child had ensured that they worked very effectively.

_Like a game…_

As he stepped out of the Garganta, Aizen lazily directed his cool gaze down upon his former colleagues. All the while his mind couldn't help pondering, how once again, the orange-haired shinigami representative had unknowingly, not to mention _interestingly,_ played a major role which drove his plan towards success. He smiled as he glanced down at the poor imitation of the town below him, barely feeling the tension within the electrifying atmosphere that spelled an imminent battle.

_Is this abysmal replica supposed to fool me…?_

No matter, the real Karakura would not be able to escape the carnage that he had planned.

And maybe_, just maybe_, he would express his thanks to the boy later.

After all, it'd be gratifying enough.

_Just to see the expression on his face…_

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**A few hours later…**

Glowing flames raged through the once lively town, rendering everything to ash.

_It was over…_

However, it was not an effortless success. The soul society had stood up against him to the very end, and fierce battles were fought before he was finally able to reach the real Karakura Town hidden in Rukongai, and turned it into ruins. But what matters, was that he would finally be able to forge the Royal Key, using the power from the destruction of the land so rich with souls.

It was a gratifying success, nonetheless. A crucial win against the soul society that would play an important role in the final stage of his plan. With only six captains on the frontline, Aizen was able to gain the upper hand. And it all came down; once again, to the boy who had helped him reduced Soul Society's battle strength to half.

Aizen knew the boy would come to Hueco Mundo as he wished. After all, if he was willing to venture into Soul Society to save Kuchiki Rukia, whom he only knew for two months, there was no reason he would not do the same for Inoue Orihime. It was something this simple.

_So hopelessly predictable…_

As Aizen continued to stare at the massacre before his eyes, he finally made his decision. A decision, which was seemingly reinforced by the orange-colored-flames dancing before him.

_That ridiculously vibrant orange hair…_

Yes, he would definitely thank the boy later; maybe even let him lived (for his own amusement only, of course) or granted him one wish. After all, showing courtesy to those who have helped you was one of Aizen's charming traits that wasn't infuse by any illusion.

_God was supposed to be magnanimous…_

Aizen laughed quietly to himself.

He knew he was experiencing something atypical, a feeling that was somewhat different from the list of monotonous emotions that usually permeated his mind frame. All around him in Las Noches, all beings merely worshipped him like there was no tomorrow without him (which was probably true).

While it was not a bad thing to receive such unwavering reverence and adulation, he wanted something diverse, and Kurosaki Ichigo had every bit of that in him. After all, since the whole world was going to worship him very soon, he might as well enjoy this little challenge while he could.

Just thinking about his possible reactions, the boy, the supposedly human boy was making him felt something close to _anticipation._

It was a nice feeling, and Aizen experienced a sudden urge to return to Las Noches.

Still, he wondered if he made a mistake by leaving Inoue Orihime in his throne room. After all, the boy was bound to try to retrieve her, and in doing that, a battle between him and Ulquirrora was inevitable. There would be nothing left of his grand throne and precious room by the time he got back.

"What re' ya thinkin' about, taichou?" Aizen's silver-haired subordinate asked suddenly, as he watched his brown-haired leader from behind. Ichimaru Gin was a perceptive individual; and he could swear he spotted something more than the usual indifference in his leader's form.

Something quite rare. Something like…

_Interest…_

Aizen turned slightly sideways to look at his right hand man, revealing only a small portion of his countenance.

"Nothing much, Gin. I've just been toying with this little idea for a while"

"Idea?" repeated Gin, curiosity now evident on his sharp visage, even with the trademark smile still decorating his face.

"Yeah."

Pausing slightly, Aizen continued mildly.

"How do you think Kurosaki-kun will react, Gin, if I were to invite him to a cup of tea after this?"

A look of surprise flitted across Gin's face, but it was so fleeting and expeditious, most people would have dismissed it as a flicker of their imagination. However, most people definitely did not include him, Aizen Sousuke.

Gin's smirk widened and he chuckled slightly, before replying in his usual lay-off manner. But the amusement was tangible in his feature now.

"I thin' he mighta prefer coffee instead"

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There you go. Hope you enjoy this little one-shot. When Aizen talked about his plan in chapter 314, I just felt that this is the second time Ichigo became a crucial piece in the success of his plans, just like how his invasion in soul society had made it so easy for Aizen to carry out his plans. So inspiration just came.

All in all, please read and review!


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